Boxscore
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. - The eighth-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles have scored just four runs thus far in the 2012 NAIA National Championship Opening Round...that's two more than they've needed. The Eagles got a huge outing from
Adam Paulencu on the mound in the winner's bracket finale on Friday afternoon against second-seeded Auburn Motngomery (Ala.), as the junior right-hander shutout the Warhawks, 2-0 to push ERAU to the championship game on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. The Blue and Gold improved to 42-16 overall while the Warhawks dropped to 37-23. AUM will take on Siena Heights at 2 p.m. on Saturday for the chance to take on the Eagles in the nightcap.
AUM sent their ace, Cody Hall to the hill against ERAU, and Hall was as good as advertised, holding the hosts to just five hits while stiking out seven in an eight-inning effort. However, the first inning did the righty in, as the Eagles plated two runs to stake Paulencu to a 2-0 lead, and the scoreboard never changed the rest of the contest.
Greg Smith began the bottom of the first with a single up the middle, moving to second on
Jeff Lemon's sacrifice bunt.
Ben Kline was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat before
Chris Page brought in what would prove to be the winning run with an RBI single to center. Kline was thrown out on the play trying to get to third, but in the following at-bat,
Ian MacGeorge doubled down the left field line and Page hustled all the way from first to touch home and give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
AUM, who left 13 men on base, most in scoring position, could not take advantage of the opportunities against Paulencu. A mixture of solid fielding and clutch pitching kept the Warhawks from cutting into the lead. Unfortunately for the Eagles, they were unable to muster much of a scoring threat after the first, and at one point, Hall retired 16 of 17 batters during the middle of the game.
Robbie Ratliff entered the game for Paulencu in the eighth, facing the minimum and getting an inning-ending double play to send the Eagles back into the dugout.
AUM put together yet another threat in the ninth with one away. A single and a walk chased Ratliff from the game, and
Eric Green entered to get one out before
David Lidyard recorded his fifth save of the season by getting cleanup hitter Hunter Cross to pop up to second to end the game.
Paulencu (8-2) scattered eight hits over seven innings while fanning two, while Hall gave up two runs on five hits in eight frames with seven Ks.
The Eagles will need to be defeated twice by either AUM or Siena Heights for the right to advance to the 56th annual Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
